Adjustable support



Feb. 17, 1942. c. G. oREcH ETAL ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT Filed Feb. 2', 1940 WITNESSES M QM Patented Feb. 17, 1942 ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT Carl G. Orech, New York, N. Y., and Edward G. SchaaLPalisade, N. J.

Application February 2, 1940, Serial No. '316,952

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an improved adjustable support for musical instruments. More particularly the invention relates to an adjustable support comprising a strap to be worn around the neck of an instrument player, an attaching device to be connected to the instrument, a iiexible cord connected between the strap and attaching device, and an adjustable slide through which the iiexible cord is threaded and whereby the eiiective length of the cord may be varied.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved adjustable member of the abo-ve character in which the flexible cord is readily detachable from the remaining portions of the device so as to be replaceable when it is Worn out.

A further object is the provision in an adjustable support of an adjusting slide of an improved simplified and inexpensive construction which may be readily adjusted to vary the length of the support but which, when'adjusted, will resist accidental displacement.

Another object is the provision of an improved assembly of adjusting slide and flexible cord whereby the slide can be shifted to readily adjust the effective length of the cord and wherein the ends of the cord are attached to the slide in an improved manner so that they can readily be released to permit replacement of the cord.

In the accompanying drawing- Fig. 1 is a view of an adjustable support for a musical instrument embodying our invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View of the adjusting slides and of the adjacent portions of the flexible cord;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View in the direction of the arrows on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the adjusting slide;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view in the direction of the arrows on the line 5 5 of Fig, 6 of a modiiied type of adjusting slide;

Fig. 6 is a sectional View in the direction of the arrows on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5 of the modifled adjusting slide; and

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of the modified adjusting slide.

Our improved adjustable support comprises a strap I0 made of leather or some other suitable exible material adapted to encircle the neck of the user, an attaching device such as the hook II which is adapted to be connected to a saxophone, bassoon or some other musical instrument, a flexible cord I2 made of braided or woven fabric or of leather or some other suitable 4commodate two strands of the cord material land connected between the strap and the attaching device, and an adjusting slide i4 to which the cord is threaded so that the eective length thereof may be varied by shifting the position of the slide.

The general shape and contour of the slide may be varied. However, in the preferred form of our invention as shown in the rst four iigures of the drawing the slide is generally oval shape and is provided with three openings I5, I6 and I'I extending transversely through the vslide inparallel relationship. 'Each of the openings are preferably of a size to rather snugly ao- I2. As shown the openings I5 and I'I are positioned adjacent the lower 'and upper ends respectively of the slide while the opening I6 is positioned adjacent the central portion thereof. The two sides of the slide between the openings II and Il are preferably recessed as indicated at I8 to accommodate the cord.

The cord I2 is releasably connected to the several parts 'so that it may be replaced when desired. We attach the cord adjacent its central portion to hook YI I and this attachment, while itis of 'a releasable character, may be xed, that is, it need not provide for sliding or shifting oi the cord relative to the hook. The connection preferably takes the form of a mooring knot as shown at I9. Thus the central portion of the cord is formed into a loop which is projected through eye of hook II and the two strands 20 and 2| of the cord are then extended through the bight of the loop and the loop pulled tight. Strands 20 and 2I are then extended in opposite directions through the opening I5 after which they are formed into loops which extend through apertures or eyelets 22 formed adjacent the two ends of strap I9. The strands are then brought back to slide I4 and extended in opposite directions through aperture II and the end portions are projected into and anchored in aperture I6. So as to resist release of the end portions from the aperture I6 and thus releasably connect the ends of the strand to the slide I4 we have found that the ends should be rigid or inexible in character. For this purpose we preferably encase the ends in metal sheaths or tips as indicated at 23. It will be seen that when the strands are pulled tight the cord between apertures I 'I and I8 rests in the recessed portions I8. Due to the relatively sharp angle of the strands of the cord the encased ends 23 will resist accidental removal from aperture I6.

The effective length of the cord I2 between strap I and hook II can be readily adjusted by shifting slide I4. When slide I4 is shifted towards the hook the effective length is reduced. When it is shifted away from the hook the effective length is increased. Due to the relatively sharp angles of the strands of the cord entering and leaving aperture I5 and due to the relatively close t of the strands in aperture I5 accidental shifting of the slide is effectively prevented. Accidental shifting or disturbance of the adjustment is also prevented by the fact that the strands and 2| of the cord must slide in opposite directions in opening I5 when the device is adjusted.

In using our improved adjustable support the strap IIJ is placed around the neck of the user, hook I I is attached to the saxophone, bassoon or other musical instrument and slide I4 is adjusted so that the cord is of the desired length. Once the adjustment is made the effective length of the cord will remain the same until the adjustment is changed.

In the modified form of our device shown in Figs, 5, 6 and '7 We employ the same type of strapy hook and cord. However, we use a modied type of slide as shown at I4 which may be made in various shapes and configurations. In the form illustrated the slide is generally rectan gular in shape and is provided with a transverse aperture 24 and two parallel apertures 25 disposed at right angles to the aperture 24 and horizontally offset with respect to that aperture. The apertures, particularly the aperture 24, are preferably of a size to rather tightly accommodate two strands of the cord I2. In the modified form of slide the central portion of cord I2 is attached to hook II in the same manner as shown in Fig. 1. The strands 2l) and 2| are then extended upwardly and through aperture 24 in opposite directions. After leaving aperture 24 the two strands are extended through apertures 22, formed into loops, and brought back to the slide I4 Where they are releasably attached thereto by extending each of the strands through one of the apertures 25 and then projecting the metal encased end 23 thereof up- Wardly into the other slide 25. As in the first form of slide the sharp angle causes the metal encased end to resist accidental release even when strong pressure is applied to the device.

The modified form of our invention is utilized in the same manner as the first form of our invention. The effective length of cord I2 may be shortened and lengthened by shifting the slide I 4' towards and away from hook II.

It will thus be seen that we have provided an improved adjustable support for musical instruments or the like which is of simple and inexpensive construction, which provides for the ready replacement of the flexible cord and which may readily be adjusted to the desired length. It should be understood of course that modifications rnay be made in the illustrated and described embodiment of our invention without departing from the invention as set forth in the accompanying claim.

We claim:

In an adjustable support for musical instruments having a strap formed with apertures adjacent its two ends adapted to encircle the neck of the wearer and an attaching device for attaching the support to a musical instrument, the combination of a unitary iiexible cord having inflexible tipped ends and an adjusting slide having three substantially parallel transversely extending apertures, the ilexible cord being connected adjacent its central portion to the attaching device with the two strands extending from the connected portion extending through the lowermost aperture in the slide in opposite directions and thence being formed into loops extending through the apertures in the strap, the said strands adjacent the inflexible tipped ends being projected through the uppermost aperture in opposite directions with the inflexible tipped ends positioned in the intermediate apertures whereby the slide may be shifted to adjust the effective length of the cord and the ends of the cord are releasably connected to the slide.

CARL G. ORECH. EDWARD G. SCHAAF. 

